Biography

With over 80 film and game credits, award-winning composer Eric Goetz has established himself as a master of creative melodic music that supports character driven narratives. From period genre films, to science fiction adventure games, to modern contemporary dramas, Eric finds the mood of the piece and gives it life. Using everything from full symphony orchestras, to jazz bands and rock bands, Eric's passion for working with live musicians gives his music a unique voice that stands out from the masses and has earned him numerous awards, including two gold medals at the Park City Film Music Festival in 2011, and Best Music for a Short Film at Seattle's Local Sightings Film Festival. Eric has worked with many notable clients including Mattel, Random House, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Sennheiser and several national Emmy-nominated filmmakers. Eric is based in Los Angeles.

Eric started composing at a very early age, writing video game music on his TI-99 computer in BASIC. Eric went on to receive a B.A. in Music from Western Washington University, where he studied classical piano with Jeffery Gilliam and jazz with Chuck Israels (Bill Evans Trio). After graduating, Eric moved to Seattle and studied film composition with national Emmy-winning composer Hummie Mann, and accordion with the late jazz great Ken Olendorf.

When not scoring films and games, Eric tours with critically-acclaimed brainiac kids music band The Board of Education. Also a concert-music composer, Eric has had two symphonic pieces performed by the Northwest Sinfonia at Benaroya Hall. Eric is currently the Director of Audio Content Production at the startup Novel Effect, which makes interactive soundscapes that sync with children's picture books while you read them aloud.

Testimonials

I once asked Eric if he could write a piece of music that sounded like the feeling you get right after it rains - a sort of hopeful serenity. Half a day later he delivered the score to my film, Seattle In Color, leaving my co-director and I in awe as his beautiful piano melody filled our senses with the smell of early morning dew. I’ve worked with Eric several times since and have yet to work with anyone else with such a natural ability for musical interpretation no matter how challenging the genre or compressed the timeline.

— Amy Enser ~ Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker

I can’t write enough or put into words how valuable a collaborator Eric is. If you choose to work with him he will take your work to levels you never imagined. What I love about Eric is everything he does is with purpose and passion. Nothing is ever ‘phoned in’. He puts his soul into his work and believe me, you dream of partnering with an artist like him.

— Lindy Boustedt ~ filmmaker

Eric Goetz scored my first film , and that score won awards. We hired him again, because the secret to success is to surround yourself with people smarter and more talented than you are! That is Eric in a nutshell.

Eric is an inventive perfectionist who goes above and beyond on his projects, consistently over-delivering jaw-dropping results. Film composing has no road-map; it’s the sonic pulse, the emotional resonance, and yet needs to know when to shine and when to recede.

Eric connects deeply with the material, which I believe is integral to the sensitivity inherent in his compositions. Technically, he is highly skilled and a multi-instrumentalist. On the latest film project, he also hired and supervised the recording of live musicians, and even taught himself the programing language Python to create some unusual effects he wanted. The result was stunning.

You should absolutely hire Eric to score your next project, if you’re lucky enough to get a break in his schedule! ;)

— Wonder Russel ~ actor and filmmaker

Eric has an uncanny ability to tune into both the film and the director. I am impressed by his musical range and the breadth of his scoring knowledge. He has a sixth sense for the nuances of film, and is easily able to create a variety of moods. As a hands-on director, I can also say that Eric is very comfortable with the give and take of collaboration. He is a pleasure to work with.

— Sue Gilbert ~ director, Beyond Greenaway: The Legacy

If you were to make a movie you would start off with an idea, a stone that holds your story down from day one. After you found your make of marble and chose your preference in texture, the script would start to develop. You could start to see fluid lines of expression; these would be your points of impact. During production and post you would chisel miles of marble away to mold form and recognition, you could transform your stone into a magnificent sculpture, an icon... If you were lucky you could take your representation to Eric Goetz, there he would give your likeness life.Eric Goetz paints moving pictures with his music, but most importantly he makes the viewer move with his music, he is a composer of films and a conductor of emotion.

— Henry Darrow McComas ~ producer, writer, director

In a fraction of a second, Eric Goetz can capture the most subtle of moments with artful precision. After placing Eric’s final mixes into The Descendants Project, tears flooded my eyes during those scenes I had watched hundreds of times in editing. With a challenging set of parameters and time lines, Eric spared no detail in delivering with integrity, both in his immaculate score and in his business practices.

— Sid Peterson ~ co-director/producer for The Descendants Project

[Eric’s music] gave new meaning to my own emotions in the film ... I am in awe of Eric’s ability to tune into an emotional moment so clearly, letting notes filter into his mind, through his fingertips, to create such beautiful music.

— Katinka Kraft ~ filmmaker

Awards

Best Musical Score, ESPER, 2014 Seattle 48 Hour Horror Project

Best Score for a Short Film, CONNECT TO, 2011 Local Sightings Film Festival

Gold Medal for Excellence in Original Music in a Short Film, THE THOMAS BEALE CIPHER, 2011 ParkCity Film Music Festival

Gold Medal for Excellence in Original Music in a Short Film, PHOTO BOOTH, 2011 ParkCity Film Music Festival

Silver Medal for Excellence in Original Music in a Short Film, CONNECT TO, 2011 ParkCity Film Music Festival